by Lynde Langdon Posted 8/15/18, 12:15 pm

Democrats in Vermont chose the nation’s first openly transgender major party nominee for a statewide office Tuesday as four states held primaries to decide ballots for November’s midterm elections. Democrat Christine Hallquist, previously known as “David” and the former chief executive of the Vermont Electric Cooperative, defeated three other candidates in Vermont’s Democratic primary for governor. Hallquist will battle incumbent Republican Gov. Phil Scott in November. Scott won unusual favor with Democrats and angered his own party by signing gun control legislation in April.

Q&A
| Helping tomorrow’s leaders navigate a changing world

by Marvin Olasky Posted 8/13/18, 02:35 am

Jeff Myers is president of Summit Ministries, which trains Christian students to think and act Biblically. Here are edited excerpts of our discussion in front of Patrick Henry College students last March.

Two decades ago you told me four disruptive questions to ask if someone is ranting in a debate: “What do you mean by that? Where do you get your information? How do you know you’re right? What happens if you’re wrong?” I’ve added two more: “How did you arrive at that conclusion? Do you think that’s the whole story?”

Family
| Questions abound about a New Mexico desert compound where a boy was found dead

by Kiley Crossland Posted 8/10/18, 03:35 pm

A police raid on a dilapidated and armed compound a week ago in the remote New Mexico desert raised a mountain of unanswered questions about the 16 people found living in squalid conditions with reported ties to Muslim extremists.

Culture
| The transgender movement cringes at Hollywood’s embrace

Charissa Crotts | 8/10/18, 01:22 pm

Activists and onlookers are still talking about Scarlett Johansson’s withdrawal last month from a movie about a woman who identifies as a man and wondering what it means for future portrayals of transgender characters.

News broke in July that Johansson would play a transgender person in the new film Rub & Tug. Strong public backlash ensued, especially from activists who said portraying transgender characters was not good enough—transgender actors should play the roles as well.

First Amendment
| Government reaches to regulate 3D-printed firearms

Bonnie Pritchett | 8/07/18, 03:51 pm

Dueling lawsuits filed in federal courts in Washington state and Texas last week seek to control the home production of 3D-printed plastic guns. Gun rights and free speech advocates say the state and federal government actions threaten the right to bear arms and stymie speech before it is uttered or, in this case, downloaded.

Sexuality
| A recent conference for lesbians and gays and those with same-sex attraction in the church proves words matter

Kiley Crossland & Marvin Olasky | 8/03/18, 03:18 pm

Reactions to last weekend’s Revoice conference hosted by Memorial Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church in America) in St. Louis range from praise to condemnation. The 400 attendees heard from speakers who self-identify as both Christian and gay, lesbian, or same-sex attracted. The topics discussed included the loneliness of lifelong celibacy, the nature of “mixed-orientation marriages,” and church ministry with and for lesbians and gays.

Religious Liberty
| Two federal courts uphold school policies allowing transgender students to use the facilities of their choice

Bonnie Pritchett | 7/31/18, 03:16 pm

Oregon public school students heading back to class this fall should be prepared to share restrooms, locker rooms, and showers with students of the opposite sex, courtesy of a federal court ruling handed down last week. And students in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey could face a similar situation given a newly revised ruling from the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Relationships
| Parents across the country attempt to rear young children as genderless

Kiley Crossland | 7/27/18, 01:30 pm

The idea of parents raising “theybies” is picking up steam. What started decades ago as a push to make parenting more gender-neutral has morphed into attempts to erase gender completely until a child is old enough to “choose” his or her own gender identity.

National news outlets have heralded the idea of “gender-creative parenting” and highlighted its heroes: parents in mostly progressive pockets of America who embrace the often-arduous task of ensuring their young children are not labeled as male or female.

Sophia Lee | 7/23/18, 11:17 am

When a friend told me she was spending $5,000 on a professional matchmaker, I gawked at her and didn’t understand. I was surprised that modern-day matchmakers exist, but was even more surprised that my friend—let’s call her Emily—would have a hard time dating.